We just finished a week of testing. Well, 3 days of testing. All students in grades 3-10 take state mandated tests every year. In Alaska it’s the SBA, Standards Based Assessments; in California it’s the STAR, Standardized Testing and Reporting.
Our testing location was an empty store front in our “mall”. One of J’s good friends was testing this week also, so he was comforted knowing a friendly face. I dropped him off between 8:45 and 9:00am for three days. All the 3rd – 7th grade students tested in the same room, 2 students to a table. The teachers facilitating the testing put students of different grades at a table.
They worked for about 45 minutes, then took a break as a group. They were scheduled to be done by lunch time. J was usually finished by the second break each day. They tested on Reading, Writing, and Math. J was fairly confident he did well each day when I picked him up. We’ll find out the results in a couple of months.
Some of the families decided to conclude the testing week with a picnic at one of our local lakes. Little did we realize that it’d be pouring rain as the day prior was beautifully sunny. The kids that did show up today had a blast blowing off the steam and tension of the testing, and for my kids who are still the new kids on the block, it was a perfect opportunity for them to work on making new friends.
Now it’s your turn, dear reader! Does your state do mandatory testing? Does your family participate in the tests? How do you practice? How do you ease your students fears?
Have a blessed Easter!
~barb
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Barb can be found at Barb’s Life where she shares life, crafts, and the occasional tidbit about her kids.
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Our state does have mandatory testing. Our umbrella school doesn’t require it until the later grades, so we’ve never participated in it. I just don’t see the benefit to having students who aren’t in public school take these tests. I don’t even see the benefits for public school children, other than, if they do well, it means their school gets funded to the maximum. I don’t get funding for my students, tax breaks for my materials, or anything like that.
Also, we do not use the same curriculum as our local public schools. I’m not sure what is included on these standardized tests, but if, say, they included some of the “reformed” mathematics, I’m not sure how my students would perform.
Our state doesn’t, and we don’t.
Our state doesn’t do mandatory testing, so currently we don’t. I LOVED taking tests when I was a kid, especially the ISTEP. I’d consider doing testing if I could find someplace, just for our own reference.
Our state requires them for public school and since we had been with a public homeschool charter, we always tested. However this year, with the budget cutbacks, we had a bit of a fiasco with the first test site. When I was told they hadn’t secured test sites for the next round of testing, and were asking unpaid parents to help secure test sites, I dumped them. Why should unpaid homeschooling parents and their students suffer for the incompetent budget decisions made by the charter?
Our state doesn’t require them, and we happily don’t take them. ;)
Our state doesn’t require them. To date, we’ve never taken one. Considering it next year though, just for my own benefit as their teacher.